When it is necessary to amputate a diseased or damaged leg from a human being, the amputation is typically performed in one of two ways. Hip disarticulation amputations are surgical procedures in which the leg is removed at the hip joint, leaving the pelvis substantially intact. Hemipelvectomy amputations are surgical procedures in which a portion of the pelvis is removed along with the leg. Amputees who have undergone either procedure often wish to be fitted with prosthetic equipment that will allow them to replicate at least a portion of the function of the missing limb. Typically, this entails creation of both a prosthetic hip joint and artificial leg. Artificial legs are well known in the art and are widely available with a variety of features.
Likewise, prosthetic hips are well known in the art, and several such hips have been designed. A typical conventional prosthetic hip includes a socket that receives and is affixed to the lower portion of the torso of the amputee and a pivotable joint that connects the socket to the artificial leg. The joint is intended to allow the artificial leg to pivot relative to the socket so as to simulate the relative movement that is provided by a natural hip joint. Conventional prosthetic hips, however, use a configuration in which the joint is positioned on the front of the socket, as shown in FIG. 1. This configuration is premised on the assumption that, by positioning the hip joint in this manner, it will be easier for the amputee to stand and walk as desired and to maneuver the artificial leg in general.
This conventional configuration has certain disadvantages. For example, because the hip joint itself is not aligned with the natural weight-bearing line of the amputee's body, an unnatural load is applied to the torso of the amputee and a sizable moment occurs at the joint itself. In addition, the forward position of the joint makes it difficult to construct a cosmesis that can effectively maintain the desired cosmetic effect when the amputee is in a sitting position.
Hence, it remains desirable to provide a improved prosthetic hip for use with an artificial leg. The desired prosthetic hip would avoid the disadvantages of the prior art and would provide stable and comfortable support to the amputee.